A Mother’s Journal

On my little stroll through the garden this morning, I spied some pink carnation petals in Sarah Elizabeth Gramble’s apron.

It looks like she placed them there herself.  Maybe she did. 

There’s so much to do in the flower garden!  There are plants that need thinning.  Two very invasive plants (arrrgh) need to be aggressively dug out and thrown away.  There are seeds that need planting.  Nevertheless, other, more important things simmer on the front burner right now.

For example, the North Carolina Home School conference which starts tomorrow and goes on through Saturday.  I’ll be there, looking for items to make up Big Joe’s 12th grade year.  He wants to study Japan intensely, including the language.  It will be a lot of fun.

I cleaned the house up today.  The whole entire house.  With four children and a busy schedule it’s not a piece of cake.  Oh, I might find a dried-up piece of cake in one of the boy’s rooms, but it’s not a piece of cake to have all rooms clean at one time.  

Last night before I went to sleep, I was remembering my interactions with each child when they were infants and toddlers.  Each child was different, so I interacted a bit differently with each one.  Oh, I loved each one fiercely, but some babies wanted more cuddling than others, some nursed more, some walked or talked early — or late…  Well, you get the picture. 

I’m sure that each little one knew how much he or she was loved.  I got a bit tearful (I’m sure it’s my age) thinking about those sweet, short years of infancy.  My, they go by fast!  Hubby tells me not to worry, grandkids are around the corner.  Makes me smile to think of all the neat things I’d like to do for grandkids!

Life gets chaotic at times and I was a little stressed over some things last evening, so Princess of the Universe, in an effort to cheer me up, traced her own and each of her brother’s toes onto a piece of paper and brought them to me. 

You’d have to see these papers to realize how funny they are.  My boys have big feet.  No, these are not little delicate baby toes that were traced, but great big, teenaged boy toes.  The tracings are currently glued into my journal as part of today’s entry.  She did indeed make me smile. 

I am thinking that this year at the NC homeschool conference I will focus on attending workshops geared towards teaching high school and preparing for college.  I know it will help me to pull things together next year.  And, as usual, I’ll be on the lookout for good books of all kinds and for any homeschooling buddies I might run into. 

Lynn